JOIN USUsing the platform to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Congress on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi government for spreading “the poison of” communalism and attempting to wipe out the Nehruvian legacy.
Without naming the BJP, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi said: “people cleaning the streets for photo opportunities were spreading poison elsewhere”.
“Photo ops being organised with brooms in hand and walls being whitewashed, while the poison of communalism is being spread,” Rahul said at a function organised by the party to mark Nehru’s birth anniversary.
“Massive efforts are being made to wipe out Nehruvian ideals and his world view…. We have weathered many a storm and every moment of crisis has given us more strength,” Sonia said.
In the last six months, Congress has found its stature reduced as it lost big in the general elections and was voted out of power in Assembly elections to Maharashtra and Haryana with the BJP gaining rapid grounds.
Sonia and Rahul urged party cadres on the occasion to battle attempts to obliterate Nehruvian legacy, which has been the bedrock of India’s success story over the years.
“If Nehru would have been here, he would have told us to unite, connect with the people. Nehru would have told us to become a brave, secular soldier to protect India,” Sonia said.
Congress’ latest attack on the Modi government comes in the wake of communal clashes in poll-bound states, most notably in Trilokpuri in east Delhi, which remained tensed after three days of communal clashes last month.
The decision by the Modi government to dismantle the Planning Commission, which was at the heart of Nehru’s vision for economy, angered the Congress.
The grand old party has been accusing the Modi government of ignoring ideals like secularism and piece, narrowing Nehru’s and Gandhi’s legacy to mere cleanliness.
Rahul said while the current rulers are “full of anger”, Congress represents the ideology of love and brotherhood.
“Only love can overcome anger and hatred. And only one organisation can fight communalism, and it is Congress,” Rahul said, adding that the party’s ideals have never changed though it had made mistakes.